This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Adults with acute sinusitis usually present with:

  • nasal blockage or congestion
  • nasal discharge
  • dental or facial pain or pressure
  • reduction or loss of the sense of smell.
  • respiratory symptoms - pharyngeal, laryngeal, or tracheal irritation causing sore throat, change in voice, and cough (1,2).

Children (particularly young children) often present with non‑specific symptoms in the upper respiratory tract. Symptoms of acute sinusitis in children may include the following, but these can be present for many upper respiratory tract infections:

  • nasal blockage or congestion
  • discoloured nasal discharge
  • cough during the day or at night (1,2).

Factors that might make a bacterial cause more likely

  • symptoms for more than 10 days
  • discoloured or purulent nasal discharge
  • severe localised unilateral pain (particularly pain over teeth and jaw)
  • fever
  • marked deterioration after an initial milder phase (1).

Symptoms of chronic sinusitis are similar to those of acute sinusitis but not as florid (2)

References:

  1. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2017. Sinusitis (acute): antimicrobial prescribing
  2. Ah-See KL et al. Management of chronic rhinosinusitis. BMJ. 2012;345:e7054.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.